Again
by mystic-Hoshi
Summary: [Set after AC] Cloud is doing a favor for a friend and bumps into someone very familiar. A chance meeting...or is it fate? Perhaps there is something that leads them together...some things are not easily forgotten. [Cloud x Aeris]
1. Prolong: Forgotten

**Again**

…………

**Prolong: Forgotten**

Waves lapped upon the shoreline while seagulls circled above, trying to find a decent meal for the day. When one of the birds saw a tasty looking fish, it immediately dove towards it. After all, it was rare for the animals to come across a good meal these days. The bird caught the fish, and left to eat it on the ground. Another set of waves gently touched the sand, and then retreated a short while later.

A young man was sitting on dry ground, where the sand ceased and the grass started to grow. The breeze caressed his messy hair, making it wave like golden blades of grass. His glowing blue eyes looked along the shore and nowhere in particular. He was apparently doing some deliveries for a friend of his, and was now resting at the small village. At first, he was intending to refuse the suggestion that the villagers offered, but after a second thought, it seemed to be a good idea to loosen up before he returned back to Migar.

So here he was, sitting and thinking. His face showed no emotion, but if you were a close friend to him you would know that he was thinking about _her_. Again. It felt like a very long time has passed, but to him…to him, he could remember the incident like yesterday.

He had blamed himself for two years for her death, until she told him that she never did blame him. He felt better, to hear her speak. And even though he had said, 'I'm not alone', in truth, he missed her greatly. Not that he was lying when he said those words, but he felt alone when it came to _her_. No…not alone…more of, incomplete.

He sighed inwardly. _'She…wouldn't want me to be like this…I know.'_ He stood up from his spot and looked on a bit more before he turned to go. At that moment, something along the shore caught his eye. _Pink?_ Curious, he turned his gaze towards the flash of pink.

What he saw made him froze on the spot. Or rather, _who_ he saw. He was dumbstruck and doubted his sanity.

'_If this is a dream then…make it last.'_

He ran towards the girl clad in a long pink dress with short sleeves. Her hair was cascading down in its usual braid. This run felt like eternity, with every step echoing in his ears. When he eventually reached her, he stopped. The girl noticed him, and turned towards him, smiling.

'…_unreal…how long have I not seen that smile? A whole year…but…something feels different…'_

The two just stood there for a few moments, with the boy staring at the girl in wonder, and the girl staring at the boy in confusion.

He reached up and quietly grabbed her arm. "A-eris?" He finally choked out.

The girl, not wanting to be rude, gently pulled her arm back to herself, causing the boy's grip on her to loosen. She looked up at him and asked, "Who are you?"

At that moment, if you had listened with your heart, you could hear a glass shatter into a million pieces.

…………

A/N: A new idea…yes…and no…this is not a one shot! Hurray :)

Oh my…it turned out to have angst! In the prolong too! But don't worry, this is not a angst fic haahaha..

I shall write more….when I feel like it…haha…sorry about that, I can't say when I can update, but I will try my best! Thanks! And don't forget to review! ;)


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting

**Chapter One: Meeting**

"I-I'm Cloud."

Cloud mustered those few words after pausing for what seemed like hours. At first, he felt shock, pain, and then confusion. He probably would have never spoke if Aeris –as he still felt it was her- didn't tilt her head to the side and shift uncomfortably.

'_This _must _be a nightmare…defiantly…but…I did feel warmth when I touched her arm.'_

"Oh…um…I…I don't remember. Sorry." She turned her gaze on the ground, causing her bangs to cover her expression.

Another set of waves arrived at the shore, and even though it was usually silent, at that moment it seemed to sound nosily.

Now Cloud was really confused. Why was she apologizing? "Oh, no, I probably got the wrong person." He turned to leave, still not believing his eyes, or the reality.

"But-" The girl's voice made Cloud pause.

'_Why does she seem so much like her though? Can there be two people in this world that looks so alike?' _

"…I _am _Aeris." She said, looking up again.

Cloud looked at her, unsure when he asked, "Aeris…Gainsborough?"

Aeris nodded, which made Cloud's eyes widen.

'_Don't tell me they have the same name too…'_

"So…I just wanted to ask; how did you know my name?"

Cloud made some effort to make himself speak, as he was very unstable at the moment, "I…use to…I know someone with the same name…and face…as you…"

"Oh…um…that's…" Aeris breathed deeply and started again, this time with a lighter tone, "Why don't you come to my house? You might find something there."

'_Find something…'_

"…Aeris…you…really don't remember me? Or are you really a different person?"

"Huh?" She looked up in surprise.

'_His voice…seems to be really hurt…I don't know why…but he…makes me feel comfortable, even though the situation is not…do I know him?' _

She looked down,"I don't know."

"…Sorry." Cloud looked away.

'_I want to help him…and I want to know too.'_

"Come to my house!" She smiled, clasping her hands behind her back.

'_I can't look at her…she resembles Aeris…_my _Aeris…too much…'_

Seeing that Cloud did not respond, Aeris decided to act on her own. She went up to him, grasped his arm, and tugged him towards the direction of her house.

For a moment Cloud just let her do so, too shock to do anything else.

'_They even act alike! This is too much!' _

Cloud stopped abruptly, looking at the ground. This caused Aeris to also stop. She looked at him, then asked, "What's wrong?"

"…"

"Come on! It's just a little visit okay?" She pouted, then realized, "Hey…you're not from this town…so why did you come here?"

Cloud looked up at her. "…uh…you just realized…"

"Yeah." She laughed sheepishly.

'_Ugh, can't look at her…too much.'_

Cloud decided to look off to the side so it wouldn't be _too_ rude. "I was just doing a favour for a friend."

"Oh…so when are you going?"

Cloud paused. He was going to go back tomorrow, but now…he wasn't sure.

"But that's okay! You can decide that later! Come to my house first! You have to meet my Aunt and Uncle! Do you have a place to stay? Why don't you stay over for the night?"

All Cloud could muster was a "Huh?"

Aeris laughed. "Just come over first." She started to lead the way.

Cloud just followed her, having a blank mind at the moment.

By the time they reached their destination, Cloud was stirring up a storm in his head.

'_Why are they so alike? They have the same name and face, they talk and walk the same…they…can't be the same person right? No…that's not possible…right? And if they are different people…why is she treating me so good? This isn't a dream…or is it? What is going on? I hope I wake up soon…'_

"We're here!" Aeris announced, presenting the entrance of her home. The small house was a light, reddish colour, with a simple square-shaped layout. There were many flowers lining the entire house.

'_I'm…still sane…right?' _

"Why are you still standing outside for? Come on in!" Aeris opened the door wide for him.

Cloud just numbly walked inside.

Aeris' aunt came downstairs and greeted her with a smile. "My, you're back early. How was the walk?" She was around her mid forties, and had black hair tied into a low ponytail. Even though her eyes were not large, you could tell that they were always smiling.

"The usual. And I bought a visitor."

"Hmm?" She turned to Cloud. "Oh hello. I never saw you around here. Did you just move in town?"

"He just came here for some business." Aeris answered for him.

"I see. And your name is?"

Cloud realized he had to answer, so he simply said, "Cloud."

"Nice to meet you."

"…"

Aeris noticed that Cloud was really awkward at greeting people so she said, "Auntie! We're going to go to the back first okay? Be back in a while."

"Okay. Have fun."

Aeris tugged at Cloud again, this time leading him to her backyard. Cloud was just letting her do so, still feeling too confused.

When they were out of sight, Aeris' aunt sighed playfully, "She bought home a boyfriend already? My, she's growing up. Well, she is twenty-four…I wonder what Dajyne (Da-G-neh) would think? I hope he's not going too be harsh on the poor boy. He is quiet, but he seems to be nice."

Meanwhile, Aeris paced around the yard, tugging at Cloud and telling him about every single species of flower. She crouched down, lightly tugged at Cloud's pants and made him crouch down beside her too. "See, this one is a Sunflower, since it looks like the sun. And this one is the Rose. Sounds romantic right?"

Cloud just slightly nodded.

Now that they were having a little conversation –more one-sided actually- Aeris finally took a good look at Cloud.

'_He's actually quite…cute.' _

Cloud's gaze was unfocused and was looking nowhere in particular, but when he realized that Aeris had stopped talking, he looked over at her. When they made eye contact, Aeris blushed and looked away to another kind of flower.

"Thi-this one!" Aeris pointed quickly. "Isn't this flower pretty? They were from another place, but my Uncle bought the seeds and so I tried to plant them here. It actually worked!"

Cloud looked at the one she was talking about, and his eyes widened when he recognized it –the only flower he would know. Cloud looked down and quietly stated, "They were from Migar…"

Aeris turned back to him, her blush gone from her face. "How did you know?"

Cloud was silent for a moment before he answered, "I bought a flower like that…in Migar."

"I see! So you are from Migar?"

"Um, yes."

"Is life hard in that city? I heard it used to be a big metropolis…"

'_Maybe…she really isn't the Aeris I know…'_

"It's…getting better…I suppose…"

"Hmm…that's good." Aeris added, "Even though I never lived there before."

Cloud fell silent again. Aeris realized she might have said something wrong. "Oh…I'm sorry, if I said anything-"

"No, it's nothing."

There was a moment of silence between them again. Aeris made up her mind and said, "I…actually…I bought you to my house for a reason."

Cloud looked up. "What do you mean?"

"You know how you said…you know me…or something like that?"

"Yeah but…you're another person…right?"

"Well…I'm not sure myself…maybe I did know you before."

"That's…impossible…because…because…"

"Because?"

"The person I know…is…" Cloud inhaled a shaky breath. "I won't be seeing her for a while."

"…oh…"

'_I don't get it…why would she say I might have known you before? But somehow…somehow…I feel comfortable around her…maybe because she is so much like…'_

"Do you have some place to stay?"

"…not yet. I was going to go to the inn."

"Didn't I ask you to stay at my house?"

"…"

"I'll take that as a yes. Then it's decided."

"What? What's decided?"

"You're staying here for the night. We have a guest room so don't worry, you don't need to sleep on the couch."

"…huh?"

Aeris laughed. "You're always so clueless, Cloud."

Cloud swallowed. She sounded exactly like _her_ when she said him name. Actually, she always sounded like her.

'_I'm still sleeping right?'_

"I guess so…"

She laughed again, much longer this time. Cloud couldn't help but smile a bit. She reminder him so much of the times when he was with _her_.

"Who are you?" A voice interrupted the pair. They both looked up and saw a man in his mid forties. His head was starting to bald, and he looked at Cloud quite suspiciously at the moment.

"Uncle!" Aeris stood up. "He's a guest."

"Yes, _he_."

Cloud slight smile faded. He slowly stood up, cautious that the man might accuse him for something he didn't do if he was too abrupt.

"Uncle! It's not like he's going to do anything! I don't bring home bad people."

"Aeris, you can't tell who is bad these days."

"Well, so far he did nothing to me."

"That doesn't mean he _will _do nothing."

"Uncle! Why are you being so mean!"

"What? You yell at me for this stranger?"

"He's not a stranger okay?"

Cloud looked at Aeris. _'Did she just say that?'_

"Quit looking at her, you!"

Cloud looked at the man blankly. _'Talk about over protectiveness.' _

"Dajyne!" Aeris' aunt emerged through the back door. "He's having dinner here tonight okay? Now come inside!"

"But Maay!" Dajyne's voice faded as he followed his wife back inside.

"I'm sorry about that. My Uncle's just worried about me."

"Because I'm a guy?"

Aeris giggled, "I think so. I don't usually bring home visitors and well, you _are _the first guy I bought back home…"

It took them a while to register what had been said and both of them blushed when they realized what the sentence implied.

"Um! I guess you're eating dinner here!" Aeris rushed to the door to hide her embarrassment. "I didn't realize it was getting late. Come inside."

'_Why is everything being decided for me? Oh well…' _

Cloud followed Aeris inside and by that time he had regained his composure again.

Maay was starting to set up the table for four. Aeris went inside the kitchen to help her aunt. Cloud finally got the chance to observe the house. It wasn't very big, but it was comforting and had a loving air around it.

Unsure, he went towards the kitchen. "Do you…need help?"

Maay smiled at him, "No, no, you can just-"

Before she could finish, Dajyne grabbed Cloud's shoulder and made him go into the sitting room with him. "Okay, what's your name?"

"…Cloud."

"Why did my niece bring you home? Argh!"

"…"

"Anyways, I never saw you around? You new here?"

For some reason, Cloud thought this man had the same air as Cid Highwind. Ill mannered but still a hearty guy. _'Oh crap…I forgot to call him to tell him about finishing the delivery…and I didn't turn on my cell.'_

Dajyne quirked his brow and repeated, "You new here?"

"Oh, ah, no. I'm just delivering something here."

"So where are you from?"

"Migar." _'Let's see…I'll call him tonight. What else…My bike is at the inn…should be okay.'_

"Migar? That big ass city? Ha, it used to be grand, now it's just a bunch of rubbish. At least the people there are stilling trying to build it up again, I guess."

"Dinner's ready!" Maay called from the dining room.

"Okay!" Dajyne walked to the other room, and Cloud followed him shortly after.

When everyone was settled and started dinner, Cloud just realized it was his first time having dinner like _this_. What he meant by _this_ was that he always ate by himself or with the others; he couldn't remember what the other dinners were like before, but defiantly not this peaceful. With this thought in mind, he couldn't help but feel awkward, nervous, and stupid for feeling nervous.

'_I'm eating dinner with Aeris…well, another Aeris…'_

"How old are you anyways?" Dajyne suddenly asked beside him, which caused Cloud to jump ever so slightly. Maay sat in front of Cloud and Aeris sat beside her.

"Twenty…three."

"Twenty-three! Twenty-three! You're one year younger than Aeris?"

In truth, Cloud was a bit surprised. _'They're the same age? But different people…right? Is that even possible?'_

"My, my. That's okay." Maay smiled.

"What's okay?" Dajyne yelled, while Cloud thought of the same thing.

Aeris just smiled at her food.

…………

After dinner Aeris showed Cloud to the guest room and told and gave him all necessary things like a towel and a clean t-shirt and pants that Dajyne hardly wears. When Cloud said he would be fine, she went downstairs and started to help her aunt wash the dishes.

As soon as Aeris entered the kitchen, Maay winked at her and said, "He's okay right? I hope he wasn't scared by your uncle's little interrogation session."

Aeris laughed, "He's not that kind of person."

"Oh? You seem to know him very well."

Aeris cheeks turned pink, "Wh-What do you mean? I just met him today!"

"I never knew you could manage to bring home such a handsome boy. And to have him stay for the night too!" Maay teased, causing Aeris' face to go a beet red.

"W-hat? I was only trying to help him! Hmph!" Aeris marched over to the sink and started to rinse the dishes that had detergent on them.

"Really? Nothing else?"

"Nothing else!" Aeris answered quickly.

"You're not very convincing."

"But! I really did think of helping him! It was after that I realized…" She lowered her voice.

"Realized?" Maay smiled.

"….that…that. You know what."

"Hmm…I don't know."

"Auntie! Stop being such a tease!"

Maay laughed. "So I _was _right after all."

"No!" Then quietly, "Not entirely."

Maay laughed, "Alright, alright. I'll stop. By the way, when is he leaving?"

"…I don't know."

"You can ask him tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"And…I wanted to ask you. The reason you bought him here was to help him right? So…are you going to tell him _that_?"

"…I…think so…maybe tomorrow."

…………

Cloud lay on the guest bed and stared at the ceiling. The room light was off, and only the moonlight from the window gave some sort of lighting in the room. They ate dinner at a pretty late hour, so it was around nine when they were done. He looked at the clock, which read nine forty-five. He was lying there for the past fifteen minutes. It was too early to sleep, but he didn't want to go down there and have a confrontation with Dajyne again, so he just stayed in the guest room. Cloud shifted to the side, facing away the door. He still had a lot on his mind.

'_So this Aeris is not the one I know, but she and her resemble each other a lot. They have the same face, voice, personality, atmosphere….but is that possible? It seems not, but then again…I…won't be seeing my Aeris for a while right? It's not like she could come back…' _

Cloud suddenly sat up really quickly. "Or could she?"

"Could she what?"

Cloud whipped around to see Aeris, the one he meet today, looking back at him.

"Oh sorry, when I knocked you didn't answer so I just wanted to see if you were asleep or something…"

'_I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even hear her approaching.' _

"I should say sorry. I didn't hear you knock."

"No…were you thinking about that person that you thought was me?"

Cloud didn't answer for a moment, but eventually said, "Yeah."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll find her someday."

Cloud said nothing in response.

"If you wake up early tomorrow, wake me up too, okay?"

"Why?" Cloud looked at her, a bit confused at her request.

"Oh, because…just wake me up okay? If you don't I'll kick you out of the house."

"O…kay."

Aeris laughed. "I'm just kidding!" She stuck her tongue out playfully. "But seriously, wake me up okay?"

"Sure."

"I won't bother you anymore then. Good night, Cloud."

"Um…good night."

Aeris opened the door to exit and closed it quietly behind her.

"Why does she have to resemble Aeris…the one I know…so much?" Cloud whispered into the dark. He thumped down on the bed. "She even said my name again…"

'_I'm going to sleep…but was I really awake the whole time? Maybe I'm going to sleep in my dream…and the conversation in the backyard…what was all that about? I still don't get anything! It might be all over when I wake up tomorrow…I hope.'_

…………

A/N: Poor Cloud, he's so confused. I bet all of you are too huh? Don't worry, it'll clear up soon. :)

And wow! That was a pretty long chapter right? Well no but…it seems longer than what I usually write…

Don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 2: Clear

**Chapter Two: Clear**

The first two things that crossed Cloud's mind when he woke up was: One, Wake Aeris up. Two, I forgot to call Cid. He mentally cursed in his head when he thought about how he was going to be yelled at by the pilot for not telling him and things like that. He glanced at the clock, which read seven thirty.

'_I wonder if he's up this early…it won't hurt if I call…'_

With this thought in mind, he picked up his cell phone from the night stand and dialled Cid's cell. He didn't want to wake Shera up, if she was still sleeping, but then again, she might be the one to answer the phone anyways. After a few rings, someone picked up the phone. It was silent, so Cloud took the initiative to say hello first. There was no answer.

Cloud tried again, "Hello-"

"What the hell is your problem? First, you don't even call me, and when you do it's in the frickening morning! You idiot! I'm still sleeping!"

How wrong Cloud was, when he thought it wouldn't hurt to call. His ears _hurt_ from the unexpected -well, not really, - yell from Cid. He had pulled the phone away from his ear when the yelling started, but it still hurt from the first word Cid said. What if he didn't have fast reflexes? Ouch…

"Well…"

"Well? You call and all you say is 'well'?"

"…I'm done delivering the item you wanted me to."

"Is everything paid for?"

"Yes."

"Fine! I'll talk to you later spiky." A click was heard as Cid hung up.

"…" Cloud sighed, hung up, and placed the phone on the night stand. He got out of the bed and to the door.

Cloud felt the cold air as soon as he stepped out into the hallway. It got pretty cold in the early mornings. He quietly walked over to Aeris' bedroom. He vaguely remembered her saying that this was her room and he could come over if he needed anything. He raised his arm to knock, but paused midway. This reminded him of those times…when he had to wake everyone up so they can continue to travel to another place.

…………

"_Aeris…wake up. We have to go."_

_She turned to her side and mumbled, "Just a little longer okay?"_

"_Everyone is getting ready. You wouldn't want everyone to wait for you to get up right?" Cloud kneeled down beside the bed._

"_That's true…"_

"_So…?" Cloud waited for a few moments, but Aeris still didn't answer him._

"_Aeris!"_

"_Ah! Okay, okay! I'm up." She sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed. She yawned, "I never knew you could be so forceful."_

_Cloud stood up. "But…"_

"_I'm just kidding! I don't want to make everyone wait, but I was so tried! We walked so much yesterday."_

"_Yeah, I know, but we need to hurry to the next town."_

"_Okay. Now get out so I can change! You don't want me changing in front of you right?"_

_Cloud blushed, "N-No!" He quickly exited the room._

…………

Cloud sighed. He was thinking about her again….how could he forget? And now there's a look-alike…well, maybe. He still wasn't sure.

'_But why did she want me to wake her up? Strange…I wonder if it's okay, it's still so early.'_

Cloud softly knocked on her door, seeing if she was already awake. When there was no answer, he turned the doorknob and quietly opened the door. He stepped inside and moved the door so it was only a crack from closing. As he expected, the room was bathe in a warm light. He looked over to Aeris' sleeping figure. He had to force himself to walk closer and wake her up.

'_It seems so impossible…but I sense Aeris' presence even if she isn't _her_…'_

"A-" It was then that Cloud realized he couldn't say her name out loud, not after he came to the possibility that she wasn't the Aeris he used to know. He stared at the ground in frustration. Clenching his fist, he whispered under his breath, "Why does everything have to be so complicated? And after everything started to settle down too."

'…_but…' _Cloud lifted his head and gaze at the sleeping girl, _'I wouldn't mind the idea of her coming back…I just wished it wasn't this complicated…' _

Since he couldn't really say her name, he just shook her shoulder a bit. "Hey…you told me to wake you up right?" He kneeled down beside her bed.

Aeris stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. She stared at Cloud for a moment before shooting right up on her bed and exclaiming, "Sorry!"

Cloud was a bit surprised at her sudden actions and so he moved back a bit, which caused himself to sit on his butt. There was a moment of silence before Aeris started to giggle. Cloud just blinked blankly at her, still confused with what just happened.

Aeris finally calmed down and said, "Oh, sorry. It was just that I was saying sorry for you having the trouble to wake me up."

Cloud blinked, "Um…not at all…"

Aeris laughed again. When she finally quieted down she stepped off of her bed and stretched, "Good morning!" She went to the other side of the room to open the blinds. "Hmm…it's still kind of grey outside. I guess it's the fog!" She turned to Cloud, who already stood up from his sitting position. "That's what happens when you live near the ocean."

When Cloud did not respond, she said, "I should get ready. You too!" Aeris smiled. It wasn't those smiles you get from a stranger, but ones you receive from people you are familiar with.

"Uh…yeah…" Cloud exited the room.

When he got back to the room he was currently occupying, he breathed deeply and mumbled, "I can't look at her straight in the face when she does that….it's getting harder to even talk to her…"

Aeris was thinking about the same thing. "Hmm…I just met him yesterday right? Well…I guess I'll need to find out…Yes, I meant to tell him soon."

…………

Aeris said that going for a walk in the morning was nice, so they exited the house after getting ready. The air was still chilly with the fog present. They walked down the lane in silence. Cloud still didn't know why Aeris told him to wake her up, or what was with the serious expression she wore.

"Uh…" He tried to start, but failed miserably.

Nevertheless, Aeris turned towards him, "Yes?"

"You…wanted to say something to me?"

Aeris didn't answer. She turned away and just kept looking at the ground like it was the most important thing she needed to focus upon at that moment. Even though her bangs where covering her face, Cloud could feel like he could, simply put, _feel _her emotions. He felt her being troubled. They walked on like that for a while, until they subconsciously reached the beach. They were standing on the area where the sand and grass met.

"I…" Aeris finally looked up from the ground and stared out into the blue sea. There was a slight breeze which played with their hair. "…came to this town about a year ago. Or rather, I woke up here."

Cloud made a confused look but kept silent.

"I just remember waking up near the water…around here…The town's people were very nice and took care of me. The next time I woke up was in the clinic. My mind was blank. The only thing I could remember was…"

Cloud looked at her direction, "Was…?"

"…was my name. Aeris Gainsborough."

"I…don't understand. What are you trying to say?"

"I have…well the doctor said…" She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. "…memory loss. I…I don't remember the past twenty-three years of my life."

Cloud felt as if lighting just struck him. Everything was so clear now. It couldn't be coincidence. They were the same person. They _are _one person. No, she, not they.

"So…you _are_ the Aeris I use to know." Cloud had hope in his eyes, even if one couldn't tell.

"Well…maybe. But I can't be sure, of course."

"But! It can't be coincidence! You have the same name and face, same personality, you still like pink and flowers very much…"

Aeris stared at him the whole time he had listed the things he knew about her. Cloud noticed this and stopped. He began to feel his face heating up, so he looked away.

"A-As I was saying…it can't be a coincidence. Even if two people in this world are similar, they _can't _be so alike."

Aeris giggled, "I guess you're right."

"And I can prove it to you! You had-have friends that will recognize you!" Cloud turned to her again, remembering that the others could tell and reassure him, even though he was positive. And besides, he had to bring her back so everyone could see that she was here.

"Cloud…are you always like this? I had a feeling you were the quiet type." Aeris said with a hint of a smile.

"…I…um…no…yes…you're right." Cloud just realized he was acting like a child who found a lost item.

Aeris simply smiled at him. Her smile seemed like it was _for _him. This made Cloud's heart waver. He just wanted act on his own instincts at the moment but he had to stop himself.

'_Heck, what if I did something like…hug her? That wouldn't be good. Because…because to her, right now, I am a stranger she met yesterday. But to me…I knew her for a long time. She just doesn't understand how happy...and grateful I am…to be at her side again…Yes, it will be different…our relationship. But I can't be selfish.' _

Cloud gazed at her and with a hint of a smile, he thought, _'This is where it starts.'_

"…..Cloud?"

'_Our new relationship.'_

…………

A/N: Wah…this one was half the length of the last chapter, but I thought it would be good it I ended it here…for now. :) Just so you readers can take in what was just read, hehe. You will find out how Aeris came back later, no worries. :D

Please review, it will make me very happy. XD

And yes, it IS Aeris. No doubt about that. :)


	4. Chapter 3: Discover

**Chapter Three: Discover**

"…Cloud?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Should we go back now? I think my aunt and uncle should be up by now…" Aeris trailed off.

"What…is it?"

"I forgot to tell my uncle…about me going out in the morning."

"Um…it should be okay, right?"

Aeris smiled sheepishly, "I don't know about you…"

'_Huh?' _"We'll know when we get back."

"O…kay."

It was when they went back to Aeris' home did Cloud know what she meant.

"What did you do?" Dajyne yelled as soon as he opened the door, grabbed Aeris inside, and let Cloud stand idly on the steps.

"Uncle-"

"Aeris! Stay inside!" With that he shut the door behind him. Cloud took a step back every time Dajyne continuously pointed at him, saying, "What, are, you, trying, to, pull."

"Um, we were just-"

"Kid! She only met you yesterday!"

'_He has the wrong idea…well, not really…but it's not like I can do anything at the moment.'_

"You trying to take her away or something?"

Cloud paused. Yes, indeed, he thought about how he wanted to take her to Migar so everyone will see her. But…take her away? It sounded selfish…but…

"I just want to show her…_her_ past."

Dajyne stopped then, and took a good look at the boy's serious eyes. Suddenly the door burst opened and out came a very angry Aeris. She went over to her uncle, took him by his arm and pulled him back in the house. After a while, she came back out.

"Come inside."

"….uh…sure."

Aeris' aunt greeted them at the door. "Welcome back. It's cold in the mornings, isn't it?"

"Uh, yes." Cloud slightly nodded.

"Aeris, could you give this to Lore-san(1)? It was something I forgot to give her yesterday, so could you please?"

"Okay!" Aeris went over to her aunt and took the item that was handed to her, and then shuffle over to the door. As she pasted Cloud she whispered, "I'll be back soon."

Cloud turned around to take a look at her face but she already closed the door behind her.

"Cloud-kun(2)."

Cloud looked over to Maay.

"Come over here. I have something to say to you."

'_What could that mean?'_

He was lead to the sitting room. Maay gestured for him to sit down across from her, so he did. She was about to open her month to speak when her husband also came in and sat down. Cloud began to feel uneasy with the atmosphere.

"As you should know," Maay started, "Aeris has amnesia."

Cloud slowly nodded, unsure of what to say.

"So, watching over her for almost a whole year has made us two very fond of her. But we know that only this will not make her happy. It will not make her _complete_. We know what she wants…she wants to remember the memories she had lost."

"And so…" Dajyne continued, "If someone like you appears, her troubles and pains will start."

"…why is that?" Cloud asked, confused.

"Because if you really knew her before, she will realize that she knows nothing about it, which will cause her the pain of not remembering a thing."

'_Cause her pain…? I haven't thought about that, only about how I feel…I'm so selfish. And I had no idea either…but I should've known that she's always happy on the outside even if she is feeling pain on the inside.' _

The silence was heavy, but Cloud wanted to know something. "Then…what do you want me to do?"

"Just leave." Dajyne looked at him sternly.

"But! Didn't you say she wants to remember? So why can't I-"

"Yes, but the doctor said that…" He took a deep breath, "The chances of her recovering her memories are very low. Around five percent."

"Five…but you don't know if you don't try."

"Kid, stop acting like you know."

"…I…once forgot everything about myself too, and even thought that someone else's memories were mine…" Cloud stood up. "So…you wouldn't know if you don't give it a try." With that said, Cloud quickly left the house.

When the couple hear the door shut, Dajyne said, "What a kid. Full of surprises."

"Well…now that he said that…" Maay looked at her husband.

…………

"I still can't believe I said that…." Cloud mumbled to himself. He started to walk unconsciously to the shoreline again. _'But then again, there are many weird things I do when it comes to Aeris.' _

He kept walking and thinking, _'I probably pissed her uncle off. Now what? He probably doesn't even want me to take Aeris to Migar, even if it's just for a while.'_

Cloud sighed. Everything was still complicated. He reached the shoreline and stood there for a while, staring at the ground. He didn't feel like moving, but something seem to make him avert his gaze to the path he didn't finish following. Pink. His eyes widened, then he ran over.

"Aeris!" His breath was becoming short as he lifted her upper body gently off the ground and into his arms. "Are you okay?"

Her breathe was swallow and rapid. She didn't answer, and was closing her eyes. Cloud lifted her up and completely off the ground. It was then he realized that he didn't know where the doctor's clinic was. Cloud decided to go back to her house, since her aunt and uncle will know what to do. She was as light as a feather in his arms.

'_Was she sick? She didn't seem like it. So why…' _The run seemed to be very long and he was starting to feel sick himself. _'Why is that every time she's in trouble...I can't do a darn thing!' _

When he finally reached her home, he kicked the gate open, ran to the entrance, and tried to open the unlocked door. When he did, he burst inside and said, "Aeris is sick!"

Her aunt and uncle came running from the sitting room. Dajyne faced frowned, "Put her in her room, I'll call the doctor."

Cloud went upstairs with Maay behind him. When Aeris was tucked into her bed, Maay had already got a cold towel on her forehead. "Again…"

Cloud looked over to her, "What?"

"She has been very weak since we found her. I worry about her every time she goes out, but I don't want to restrict her either. I…shouldn't have told her to deliver something for me." She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Aeris' face gently.

"It's not like you wanted this…" Maay didn't respond, so Cloud asked, "She was always like this?"

She turned to him, "Yes. Once in a while she would fall ill. It's nothing too serious so don't worry." She smiled weakly.

'_In a way…that makes sense…I guess this is also why her uncle is protective of her.' _

Dajyne came into the room with the doctor. Everyone watched silently as the doctor did the usual procedures. After examining her he said, "She should be okay after she rests. Give her something warm to drink, and don't worry." The doctor smiled slightly.

"Thank you, doctor." Dajyne went outside the room to escort the doctor, who seems to come here often.

"I will go prepare some soup for her." Maay said, but received no response from Cloud. She looked at him and knew he wanted to just stay where he was, so she quietly went out of the room.

When she closed the door behind her, her husband returned and whispered, "That kid is still in there?"

"Yes. It's alright now, isn't it?"

He grunted, "Only you think so."

Maay smiled. "Let's go downstairs and make something for them."

…………

Cloud sat on a chair which he pulled next to the bed. _'I didn't know you were still going through so much…'_

He leaned over and looked at her angelic face. She was sleeping as peacefully as ever, as if she was never ill. He stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Aeris stared to stir so Cloud retracted his hand. She opened her eyes and when she recognized him she smiled. Then she said, "I'm sorry for having you worried."

"No…I'm just glad that you're okay."

Aeris started to sit up so Cloud helped her. After she settled she asked playfully, "Did my aunt say anything about me when I was out?"

"Nothing bad." He shrugged, trying to make it like nothing happened.

"So she did! Hey, hey, what did she say?"

"Well…about you being ill sometimes…"

"Oh that. Well, I guess it's true, even though I hate it this way…"

"It might get better."

"I guess." A silence followed.

Cloud wanted to break the silence and ask her a question so he started awkwardly, "Say…have you ever went to any other city?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't been anywhere."

Even though Cloud knew the answer, he asked anyways, "Do you like to travel?"

"Of course! There are a lot of beautiful places in the world. It would be wonderful…"

Cloud smiled at her response, despite knowing it already. "Well…you like to, uh, come to Migar?"

Aeris eyes slightly widened. "Can I? Oh, wait…but my aunt and uncle."

"Er…ask them?"

"You have such a good suggestion! Migar's not to far from here right? You got me so excited! Why didn't I think of this before?" She hastily got out of her bed.

"Are you okay? The doctor-"

"Said that I should rest right? Yes, I'll be fine."

"At least wear some warmer clothing."

"You sound like my aunt now! And it's only been a day." She laughed and proceeded to her closet to find something.

"Oh…" Cloud felt his face become a bit warm. _'She's right…is that scary or what?' _

"Okay!" She pulled a red jacket with long sleeves out and put it on.

'_Of all colours…it just proves her fashion sense is still the same though…' _Cloud thought with a light laugh.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Oh, uh, nothing." Cloud walked towards the door, opened it, and waited for Aeris to come outside before he closed it again.

"I still can't believe this. I'm so stupid! I just thought about how I wanted to travel but…I hadn't really thought about how I was going to do that." She finished sheepishly.

"It's okay." Cloud smiled. _'I'll take you anywhere.'_

Aeris ran down the stairs and almost fell but fortunately regained her balance before that happened. "Auntie! Uncle! I'm going to Migar with Cloud!"

Only a boiling pot of soup could be heard throughout the whole house, that is, until Dajyne yelled, "What?" He stormed over to Aeris, "What has gone to your mind?"

Meekly, Aeris said, "Only for a while…"

"I see!" He went pass Aeris and up to the top of the stairs where Cloud was still standing. "It's **you**."

Cloud didn't want to offend him, but he didn't need to lie either. "Yeah. So what's your answer?"

Dajyne stared at him. "You kid…"

"Okay." Maay answered swiftly at the bottom of the stairs.

Cloud blinked. _'That was surprisingly easy.'_ Cloud asked out loud, "Are you…sure?"

"What's wrong with you kid? If we said yes, it's yes! Now leave!"

"N-Now?"

"Uncle, are you okay? You know…aren't you suppose to, um, argue a bit?" Aeris looked at her uncle, genuinely worried.

"Yes, that is exactly what I should be doing." Dajyne walked down the stairs with slumped shoulders.

"So…?" Aeris watch her uncle walk pass and go to the kitchen to sit down.

"Don't worry about it. We agreed to let you go." She lowered her voice and whispered in Aeris' ear, "And find out about yourself."

Aeris eyes widen when she understood what her aunt meant. She hugged her aunt and softly said, "Thank you…"

"And spend time with your boyfriend." She added as a joke.

Aeris released her aunt to look at her. "What? No…" Her face started to heat up. "It's not like that."

Maay laugh, "Yes, yes."

The two looked at Cloud as he was coming down the stairs and laughed again. Cloud had no idea what was going on, but he didn't question. (If this was an anime, you could clearly see question marks above his head.)

"Come drink some broth first. You too, Cloud-kun."

"Yah! Auntie's soups are the best!"

…………

"So this is how you came…" Dajyne inspected Cloud's motorcycle. "Is it safe?"

"Well, so far I had no accidents."

"What if you have one now?"

"I won't."

"How do you know?"

"I'm a pretty decent driver."

"Decent? You have to be good!"

"Those two are getting along." Maay said to Aeris who looked at the bike in amazement.

"Wow…I want to ride this…" She turned to Cloud, "How do you drive this anyways?"

"I'll show you when we get on."

Before Cloud could say anymore, Dajyne whisper in his ear, "You better watch out for her, or else I will go to Migar and beat the crap of you."

Apparently, Cloud has given them his cell number and his address since Dajyne said that he couldn't be relaxed with his niece travelling. So if something happened, Cloud would be in some trouble.

Cloud simply nodded, and went over to his bike to get it ready to go.

When everything was settled, Cloud was sitting on his bike and making a phone call while Dajyne and Maay talked to Aeris about safety and coming home in a few days for the millionth time. They were still protesting about her health but Aeris insisted that she would be fine and will not pass out again.

"Hey, Tifa…sorry about that, but can you call everyone and tell them to go to the bar as soon as possible? Is it urgent? Yes….Thanks." Cloud hung up and thought, _'I wonder how their reactions would be like…' _

Barret and Cid will probably start cussing, while Yuffie and Cait Sith would be jumping up and down in excitement. Red and Vincent would be surprised, but accepting. Tifa would probably be teary-eyed. And of course, there will be joy.

Cloud slightly smiled at the thought. He wanted to get back as soon as possible. Aeris' nearby voice interrupted his thoughts, "Okay, okay! I'll be back in a few days so don't worry! I can take care of myself." She jogged over to the bike and hoped onto it, grabbing on to the side of the seat. "Cloud! Start the engine!"

He was happy to go, so he did so. He drove slowly so Aeris could say a good-bye and wave before accelerating.

"You better hold on tight."

"Wha-" Before Aeris could finish, she knocked into Cloud's back and out of reaction she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Cloud couldn't help but feel his cheeks warm up a bit. Sure, she rode with him on the bike before but that was only once and they were going pretty slow so she didn't need to hold onto him.

Aeris laughed, "This is fun!"

"You never rode on a motorcycle before?"

"No! This is my first time!"

'_Technically, it's not… it still sounds weird to hear her talk like this…'_

Nevertheless, Cloud smiled. After all, she was _here_, and that's all that matter. The pain, grief, loneliness, and incompleteness…it didn't matter. No, not anymore. She was here…and that was enough.

They rode the first half of the ride in comfortable silence. When Cloud thought that Aeris needed to take a break, he stopped by some nearby rocks. She was circling around the giant rocks and even attempted to climb them a few times. Cloud was just sitting and silently resting. He lightly laughed when Aeris pouted out of frustration of not being able to climb the rock. She attempted to glare at him and silenced his laugh to a smile. Aeris smiled at him, indicating she was joking. The captivating moment was broken when Cloud's phone rang. He dug into his pockets and flipped it open. He looked at the caller id.

He pressed the answer button and said, "Tifa?"

"Everyone's here."

"…that was fast."

"You said it was urgent. It's also because no one was really busy at the moment. But come back quickly! What is it anyways?"

"It's…a surprise."

"…did I hear that right?"

"Yes, but don't be freaked out or anything. If you find something weird, don't comment about it. I'll explain it later. Tell the others too."

"Okay…are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" Cloud heard some people laugh in the background on the other line. He was on speaker.

"Later." He didn't even wait for a response before he shut the phone and placed in back in his pocket.

"Tifa? Who is that?" Aeris asked when she saw that Cloud was done talking.

"She's a friend."

"Oh really…" Aeris seemed to be in deep thought for a moment.

'_This happened before…didn't it?' _Cloud smiled at the memory. He glanced over to Aeris when she attempted to climb the big rock once again. He knew they should get going but he didn't want to ruin her current mood either. _'A few beatings should be alright.' _He started to think about what Cid and Barret might do, but stopped when he saw that Aeris was very unstable at the edge of the rock. He stood up from his spot and went around to where she was.

"It's kind of dangerous up there." He started to worry.

"It's okay! You'll catch me if I fall right?" She laughed.

"Uh…" Cloud shook his head in defeat when he realized that he can't convince her. _'Of course.'_

He climbed up the rock with ease. When he reached the platform of the rock he turned back to Aeris, who was still grabbing on to the side. She looked at him blankly and said, "You just ruined my morale."

Cloud couldn't help but smiled at her expression. He went over and extended his hand to her, which she took wordlessly after staring at it for a moment. He helped her up along the way. When she reached the top she smiled brightly.

Cloud was curious as to why she wanted to come up here, so he asked, "Why did you want to get up here?"

"For this." She whirled around in a little dance.

"To…dance?"

Aeris laughed and Cloud thought that he still liked to heard her melodic laugh very much. "Well…maybe that's a part of it. But I wanted to see this…the scenery." She gazed around, "It's a nice view up here."

The ground around them was a very dry brown, with not even a speck of greenery in sight. There weren't even flowers. Confused, Cloud asked, "How?"

Aeris faced the sky and took in a deep breath of air. "Well, this is our planet. We should enjoy everything it brings to us. If there were no soil, there will be no grass. So the soil should be regarded as good too."

Hearing her say this, Cloud remembered one of the many questions that were pricking the back of his mind, "Aeris, can you…hear the planet?"

She looked over to him and repeated, "Hear the planet?" She made a bewildered expression. "What do you mean?"

The wind was blowing quite strong at their altitude but both of them didn't seem to notice. Cloud's eyes slightly widened and did not speak for a few moments. When he did he just said, "Oh…it's nothing. Let's go down." He went to the edge and climbed down the rock.

Aeris sensed that this was not true but she didn't question it. "Okay." She followed and with the help of Cloud, she was finally on the ground.

Still disturbed by her response, Cloud said nothing. Aeris didn't even try to make a conversation, as she knew something was bothering him.

'_Was it something I said? But what did I say? Is he mad? I hope not…'_

While Aeris was worrying about him, Cloud had thoughts of his own, _'What does that mean? Did she forget about that too? But how can she forget? If the planet speaks to her she would know…'_

They rode the rest of the way in uncomfortable silence.

…………

A/N: I decided to stop here…on a bad note. Xl please forgive me! I was going to write more…but then…well…it seemed that this was a good place to end the chapter. I know…evil cliffy….at least I would consider it to be. :P

I don't know if this is happening all too fast so review and please tell me your thoughts! Thank you :)

..Notes..

1) –san: A respectful term used for people who may be older than you.

2) –kun: Usually used for younger boys that you don't know very well. (I heard it used for girls sometimes, but I'm not sure why)


	5. Chapter 4: Reunion

**Chapter Four: Reunion**

When they had finally reached the once bustling city of Migar, Aeris had wanted to look around for a bit, so Cloud let her do so. It was on the way to the bar anyway, so it wouldn't take any longer…that is, if Aeris stopped the window shopping.

"Wow! What a shop! I didn't know there would be a shop just for antiques!"

"It's an antique's store."

"Oh whoa! A clothing store! It's so big!"

"…." Cloud sighed, "Aer-"

"A flower shop! Wow!" She turned to Cloud, "Can I go in? Just for a bit? This is the last shop I promise!" She clasped her hands pleadingly.

Seeing her like this, Cloud couldn't refuse. _'The others can wait a bit longer…'_

"Thank you!" With that said she ran inside.

Cloud thought about following her inside, but then decided against it. It would only take her longer to come out. As much as he wanted to let her do as she wishes, he couldn't because of the responsibility he had at the moment. Tifa was always saying how irresponsible he was when he would go out and not tell her when he will be back and where he was going. Cloud knew that it was irresponsible, but he just wasn't use to telling people things like these. A very bad habit.

He closed his eyes and mentally sighed. When he opened them back he was met with a white flower. "Eh?"

The flower was lifted down and Aeris' smiling face was revealed. "It's for you! These were those flowers you were talking about right?"

"Uh…yes."

"Here." Aeris put the delicate flower in his hands and said, "See? I was fast wasn't I?"

Cloud just looked at the flower then to Aeris' face and back to the flower again. He was a bit flushed for a response.

'_He's…so cute! Ah! What am I thinking?' _Aeris turned away and slightly blushed. "So…where are we going?"

"Oh, ah, um…follow me." Cloud started to walk to the direction of the bar.

Aeris wordlessly followed behind him.

'_The first time we met…I bought a flower from her…She keeps doing these things that remind me of the old times. Well, I guess that makes prefect sense; she is the same person after all.' _Cloud suddenly stopped when a certain thought struck him. _'Could it be that…she went into that shop just to buy a flower for me?' _

Aeris was looking at the floor in deep thought. _'I hope his mood is better now-' _She bumped into someone so she looked up. When she realized it was Cloud she asked, "Is something wrong?"

He glanced at her, "Uh, no." He continued to walk.

"Okay…" Aeris followed him again.

They finally reached their destination after a few minutes. "We're here." Cloud announced.

Aeris stopped walking. "I…never been to a bar before."

Cloud slightly smiled, "Don't worry. There won't be any fights in this bar." _'Tifa would make sure there was none.' _

Aeris walked up to Cloud, who was already on the porch of the bar. "Why are we here though?" The noise in the bar could be heard through the walls.

"Because there are some people here that…" Cloud trailed off, remember what Dajyne had said about this causing her pain. _'How should I say it then?'_

"I use to know them?" Aeris simply asked.

Cloud paused for moment and then nodded in response. "Well, they're kinda loud so…"

She giggled, "I can tell."

"…don't be too surprised if they jump at you."

Aeris laughed, "Okay, thanks for telling me."

Cloud smiled at her and then opened the door to the bar. It made a usual creaking sound. When the door was completely opened, the noise ceased. Cloud examined the room. Tifa was behind the counters wiping a glass cup while Vincent and Reeve were sitting there and probably talking. Yuffie seem to just get up and was about to run to their side of the bar. Cid and Barret were just sitting at a table while Red XIII lazily lay down on the floor. Cloud looked to his left. Aeris smiled sheepishly at him. Apparently, she went behind the wall. Cloud whispered to her, "It's okay."

The first to break the silence was Cid, "Where the $#& have you been?"

Aeris was a bit nervous and in a result she went behind Cloud. "Come on." Cloud said to her and walked inside.

Not knowing what to do, she followed him. There was a deadly silence when she entered. In that moment, a glass shattering sound was heard from Tifa's direction. A slight thud from Cid's cigarette followed.

'_This was a bit worst from what I thought…' _Cloud couldn't help but slightly smirk.

The silence was growing heavy which Aeris realized. _'I should say something…' _She smiled slightly, "..uh, hi."

_That's _when the true reaction started.

"Aeris! Is that really you?" Yuffie ran to her and started to prance around. "Why are you here? How? When?"

Tifa went over to her, "Is that really…" Her eyes were watery.

"What…the….&#$!$(…." Cid said with his month still opened. Barret nodded in agreement, still not believing.

Red couldn't even help but go to her and smile. Aeris returned the smile back, not quite sure what was going on.

'_I must've known them a lot…' _She thought, a bit down, which didn't show on her face.

Even Vincent's face showed surprise for a moment. He slightly shook his head, with a slight smile behind his cloak.

Reeve went up to Cloud and said, "So _she_ was the surprise. And here we all thought you were being crazy."

He shrugged, "Maybe I am."

Reeve laughed. "But still…it is nice that she's here, even if we don't know why."

Cloud nodded in agreement.

"Or perhaps you do?"

"No…no idea. I just found her in a nearby village." _'I should've told this to them sooner but…' _"She has no memory of the past."

Reeve looked shocked for a second. When he recovered he said, "Probably something to it…she couldn't come back with everything she had, right?"

Cloud had never thought about it this way. "That could be…true."

"You're going to look into it, right?"

"Yes. But first, I must inform everyone without having my life put into danger…"

Reeve chuckled, "You shouldn't worry about trivial matters like that."

"Trivial?"

Reeve laughed, "What I meant was, you'll manage a few beatings."

"…thanks."

"AHH! It doesn't matter!" Yuffie practically jumped on Aeris. "You're back."

"I'm so glad…" Tifa hugged Aeris from the other side.

'_Even though I don't know them right now…the atmosphere is so warm. It feels…so right…like I belong.'_

"Thank you." Aeris whispered, smiling.

------------

A/N: I figured after AC some people collected some of the seeds from the church and planted them. So there's a rare flower shop. It has business because everyone loves flowers right? xD

Isn't the guy supposed to give the flower to the girl? Traditionally I guess. LOL.

Cloud is having fun hahha…is it OOC? I dunno…I mean…Aeris came back so.. :P

And the chapter title just cracks me up.

P.S. I know it was a short chapter…but I didn't want to let you guys hanging at the evil cliffy, haha. :) and...is Reeve OOC? I won't be surprised if he is.. T.T


	6. Chapter 5: Hope

**Chapter Five: Hope**

It took a while for everyone to calm down and stop hyperventilating, but it was possible. As Cloud didn't want to leave Aeris wandering the city alone and wanted to make sure everyone knew about Aeris' situation, he asked Reeve to tell the others about it for him. It was irresponsible but it couldn't be helped. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable telling them herself or have someone else who is oblivious accompanying her.

Or maybe it was an excuse to be with her as much as possible.

Anyhow, at the moment, they were simply walking around the city and Aeris continued to do what she was doing before. It had proved to be a difficult task to get out of the bar, as everyone didn't want to be parted with her so soon again, especially Yuffie. She was practically whining and pulling on Aeris' dress. The only reason she let go was because Cloud whispered to her ear to not to give Aeris a hard time and that she will understand later. Yuffie let go reluctantly, pouting all the while.

'_Then again, that was a bit harsh, but they will understand later. I wonder how they would feel when they hear the news.'_

Cloud narrowed his eyes in memory of his reaction when he realized that she had forgotten him. It didn't feel pleasant at all, and it still doesn't. He sighed, _'When will she remember…?'_

"Cloud?" Aeris waved her hand in front of his face. _'He's spacing out again…he must be really distracted…but I can't pry either. What should I do?'_

Cloud looked up at her, "Oh, sorry. What is it?"

"Is there any place here that I've been to…before?" Aeris asked, hands clasped behind her back and with a smile.

Cloud looked at her for a moment before he voiced out, "Yes…there is."

Aeris noticed the seriousness in his voice and her smile slightly faded.

"Come." He said in a lighter tone.

Aeris followed him. _'Did I just make it worse? …but I am interested in what kind of place I've been to.'_

The walk only took a few minutes before they reached their destination. The building stood there with age. The wooden walls started to peel and had several holes in them. However, the spirit it still gave off did not fail.

They reached the entrance which was a large wooden door. All this time Aeris looked at the building and its surrounding areas in awe.

'_I've been here before? I don't remember but it doesn't feel foreign…at all.' _She turned her gaze back to Cloud, who was apparently staring at her reaction with a slight smile.

When Aeris realized this she felt her face slightly colour. _'I'm like a little girl who has discovered a secret hideout…at least that's what he seems to say. It's true, though.'_

Cloud opened the door, which make a loud creak when he did. He proceeded inside like it was his second home. Aeris trailed him, still a little embarrassed with her previous actions.

Every step they took down the aisle seemed to echo off the broken benches and walls. The sun was shining brightly outside, causing the stain glass windows to cast a colourful shadow on the floor. The air was surprisingly fresher in the building than outside.

Aeris looked pasted Cloud's figure and understood why. At the front of the building there was a small pool of water, sparkling from the small amount of sunlight coming through a hole in the roof. In addition to the pool, there were some yellow and white flowers around it, with some petals floating on the water.

Aeris took in a deep breath of air. This was one of the most beautiful yet simple scenes she had saw since she could remember.

"I've…been here?" she started, her voice a little hoarse because of the unconscious need of keeping the peaceful air.

They reached the pool before Cloud answered, "Yes, but it is a bit different from before. There use to be flowers instead of the Lifestream."

"Life…stream?"

Cloud turned to her, "You know what that is…do you?"

For a moment Aeris didn't answer. _'It sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I might have heard of it. Could it be…?"_

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when saw a few flashes before her. She saw a garden, then a white crystal-like ball. She started to feel nausea when an image of a white marble ground appeared.

'_What…?' _

Aeris fell to her knees, covered with cold sweat.

"Aeris!" Cloud caught her arms before they reached the ground. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick again?"

While taking deep breaths, she lifted her face towards Cloud and forced a smile. "I'll be okay."

She took the initiative to sit down on the ground so she could recover her breath. Cloud followed suite, still worried. He wanted to ask her what happened, but he thought it was best if he let her rest for now.

For a few minutes neither of them said a word. Cloud was indulged in his thoughts as to what just happened. _'It could be from earlier on but-'_

"_Because if you really knew her before, she will realize that she knows nothing about it, which will cause her the pain of not remembering a thing."_

'_Was this what he meant? But I thought it was mentally, not physically. Maybe…both?'_

Aeris broke into his thoughts when she said, "Thank you."

Cloud turned his gaze from the floor to her smiling eyes. "Huh?"

She smiled at his reaction. "Or would you like me to say sorry to cause you trouble?"

Aeris always had a way with words. She just simply knew how to use them to their full potential, even when she was talking in riddles. But because of past experiences, Cloud understood what this meant, "No, 'thank you' sounds much better."

Aeris made a slight pout. "I thought you'll be confused. Aw, you're no fun." She finished with a light laugh.

"Did you want to see me confused?"

"Um…kinda." She smiled sheepishly, a little pink streak across her face.

'_Okay, now I'm really confused. What's with her expression?'_

Aeris immediately saw the confusion in his face and laughed out loud. When she calmed down she said, "I think you manage to become confused one way or another."

Cloud smiled slightly, "…Yeah."

…………

"_Sorry for troubling you." _

"_No, this is what I'm here for."_

"_Yeah, but…sorry."_

"_You know," Aeris finished healing Cloud's wound before she said, "It'll be much better to say thank you than sorry."_

"_Oh…sor-" Cloud stopped himself, "…thank…you."_

_Aeris smiled at him and went off to see if anyone else needed her help._

_Cloud couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth twitch._

…………

"So…what did I do in this church?"

Cloud snapped out of his thoughts and answered, "Well, you took care of the flowers here."

"Really? It's a bit weird to say this but I seem to be in character." She finished with a laugh, and even Cloud couldn't help chuckling at her comment.

When they quieted down, Cloud whispered, "…and this is where we met."

"Hm?"

Cloud looked over to her, and found himself stuttering. "…Well, uh, we…met here…officially."

"Really? That's…" Aeris paused, searching for the right word, which she couldn't find, "Wow…I would've never expected that. And what do you mean by officially?"

"Because we met before. On the streets. I bought a flower from you and…"

"A flower from me? Was I a flower girl?"

"Yes."

Aeris didn't respond immediately, taking in all the information given to her. "I see. That's not surprising."

"Well, after that, we met here."

"Why did you come to this church?"

"I…fell in."

"What? How?"

"From the roof. There use to be a huge plate covering the whole city. I was on a mission up there, and I fell down when an explosion happened. I thought I was going to die but apparently the flower bed broke my fall."

"So that's where the hole came from." Aeris commented jokingly. "What happened after that?"

"I…took you home." Cloud contemplated if he should tell her the reason why, but soon decided against it. He wasn't sure if she even knew _who_ she was –is.

"Aw…" Aeris clasped her hands together. "That sounds so sweet."

"It does…huh…" Cloud turned his face away to hide his embarrassment.

"I really wish I could…" Aeris stopped and left her sentence hanging, which Cloud didn't notice. She stood up from her spot and slightly skipped over to the Lifestream. She then kneeled down and looked at her reflection. "Hey…do I look any different? From then."

Cloud looked up to her form, "No, not at all. If you did maybe I wouldn't have recognized you."

Aeris turned her face over and gave a soft laugh, "Oh right."

'_I said that but…I _can't _imagine not recognizing You.'_

…………

The once noisy bar was now so silent that someone outside would hear a pin drop. Reeve finished telling the dreaded news, and once again, shock was cast upon the group.

Yuffie broke the silence, her voice still soft, "…but she could remember? Isn't that right? People who have amnesia can recover!" She stood up abruptly, causing the chair she sat upon to fall on the wooden floor.

"Yes, that's true…but her case is way different."

"But it's the same illness! It shouldn't be that different. We should take her to the doctor-"

Tifa placed her hand gently on the younger girl's shoulder, "Yuffie, we have to calm down. Everyone is still shocked about the situation but nothing would happen if we panic."

Yuffie turned to her, sadness clouding her eyes. "But she's finally here…with us."

"I know…"

"You know what, if she doesn't remember, we'll make her remember!" Cid declared with his loud voice.

"Rather, help her remember." Vincent corrected him with a softer tone.

"Yes, remember what she always told us? Not to give up hope. We never even tried, so we shouldn't give up so easily." Nanaki stated.

"Right, now that she's back, her sickness will heal with time." Barret nodded.

"Besides, she's here, and that's all it matters." Tifa smiled. "What more could we have asked for?"

"That's true." Yuffie put on her grin. "I want to take her to Wutai!"

Reeve chucked, "Maybe you can ask her when she gets back."

"Where did they go, anyway?"

"Um…window shopping?"

"What? Stupid Cloud…"

"Perhaps he didn't want her to feel awkward."

"So... she wants to know about her past, that's why she came here, isn't it?" Nanaki asked.

"I suppose. We should ask Cloud for the details later, even if they aren't much."

"I wonder…how he felt when she said she didn't know him." Tifa softly said.

There was silence to answer that question. Even though each of them knew, that he would be the one who is most hurt.

"Where the heck is he?" Yuffie burst out in frustration.

…………

"We should get going. It's getting pretty late." When Cloud received no answer, he added, "The others would worry."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I spaced out."

Cloud stood up and walked over to Aeris, who was still staring at the Lifestream. He made an amused face as he thought of what to say, "Sorry? Shouldn't it be _thank you_ for causing me to snap out of it?"

Aeris looked up to him and laughed, "Yeah, it should be." She stood up and dusted herself.

Cloud turned and started to walk to the entrance of the church when he remembered about the flower Aeris gave him. He had put in on the ground beside him when he sat down. He gazed around for it while Aeris gave him a confused look. When he spotted it, he went over to pick it up. He turned back to the flower girl and said, "I almost forgot."

Aeris smiled, "No you didn't. If you did you wouldn't have remembered so quickly."

"What?"

"Never mind." She hummed teasingly and started down the aisle to the entrance.

Cloud slightly shook his head and followed her.

…………

A/N: My transitions are the worst. O.o If you could tell, I was trying to work on my descriptions and stuff because I almost never write them. That's one of the reasons why my chapters are so short, hahah. Hey, it's true :P

The church WAS his second home in AC. xD

And sorry about the lateness, school's been pretty hectic with my slacking off-ness, ness. XI Or rather…**thank you** for waiting patiently for my update. XD


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